Travel Photography Question

Question for those who travel. Do you feel that phone photography has gotten to the point (as far as image quality) that you would feel comfortable only taking a mobile phone on a trip? I ask because my wife and I are traveling to Israel for about 3 weeks and while I have decided not to take my mirrorless camera (an Olympus EM5mk3) along - basically based on our last thee trips where I left it home but took my iPhone 14 and my compact camera (Sony RX100mk5) only. And a recent trip to Florida (St. Augustine to Key West) where I only took the iPhone - but while Florida we have been to many times, the other two trips were to the French Wine Country and Spain which we had never seen. I would take the Sony to have a second camera in addition to the iPhone (always have a backup especially when traveling somewhere I don't plan on visiting again), but I have seen so many photos - both my own and in various iPhone forums - where the results have been impressive.
So the question: how many have just taken their iPhone (or whatever mobile phone they use) and felt comfortable with taking just the phone? Something in my aged mind keeps nagging me not to just depend on the iPhone.
Thanks for reading.

I used “iPhone only” for my edc and urban travel for almost 5 years. Reserving the ILC for National Parks safaris and special situations. I have an X100V now because I missed the experience of using a dedicated camera, but if I wanted to travel ultra-light and under the radar, I wouldn’t hesitate to take only my iPhone.

My secret, which applies to the X100V as well, is to waste no time fretting over photos I can’t make. Devote your energy to making better images that are within your means.

Check out Rick Sammon’s recent shots from Morroco.

A lot depends on whether you see a need for telephoto. The phone will do just fine within its range. I picked up a set of Moment W/A lenses which were nice because they worked with the iPhone's main lens and was quite impressed with them.
www.shopmoment.com/reviews/which-lens-is-right-for-me

I had just the phone for a week in Morocco before the pandemic and didn't feel constrained.

Sherm

I used the Moment lenses for years — I have a set in each of their mounts. I’ve found them less useful on the newer, multi-camera iPhones and didn’t bother to pick up a lens mount case for my 13 Pro. Worth considering — just adding my 2¢ here.

Me!

I have taken numerous trips with just a smartphone and I will be heading to Europe in a few weeks with just an iPhone 14 pro max (and my iPad). These trips have all been “city” or “scenic” trips and I have not needed a long tele. I agree with the poster above that if you need “reach” that is outside of the focal length of the camera’s on your device, you might wish to take a different camera. For each trip, most of the imagery is just “documentary” but on each trip I try to get up early for golden hour and take some shots in great light, where ever I am. The iPhone, all in, has not failed me yet.

I will be heading to the American Southwest later this summer….. I am still planning on taking only the iPhone but we’ll see.

It's good enough, if that's the answer you want but I still love the stand alone compact cameras, bridge cameras or ILC that you can buy these days.

The day a smartphone can interchange lenses (like this concept here: www.engadget.com/xiaomi-12s-ultra-concept-phone-leica-m-lens-082542479.html), and that has system with varied focal lenghts to choose from (from 9mm all the way up to maybe 600mm equiv), might be the day I fully migrate to smartphones.

Same. My last trip to Mexico I left the gear at home and just used the phone. Refreshing!

For most of 2022 I was unable to manage my camera for medical reasons but could manage my iPhone during that time. I got by, even on a couple of trips, and learned a bit more about the iphone's photographic capabilities and limitations. I came home with some pleasing images and some images where I wished I'd had my "real" camera. Some of my frustration came when trying to edit the phone photos because they do not hold up well to the kind of abuse I like to put images through in some of my post processing adventures. When used as SOOC, they look OK as long as I don't allow myself to look too close. I also missed my long zoom.

That is one of the issues for me personally as well. I use an iPhone 14 pro max. I am hopeful that over the next generation of two that apple comes out with some bent optics (“periscope” or something) that allows for roughly 200mm on a 48mp-ish sensor.

Regardless, 2023 is the year that I explore the iphone 14 pro max and that 48mp sensor in proraw. So far, it wins for me. We’ll see what the rest of the year brings.

@swandy

If it’s just holiday / vacation shots for the memories, I would take the iPhone.

If you get “the itch” you could always pick-up one of these from Interphoto in Tel Aviv. lol
www.ifoto.co.il/en/disposablecamera

Funny you mention a disposable camera. My son-in-law works for the NY Post and he has taken some lovely photos off the Staten Island Ferry with disposables he purchased on the ferry. He also told me a story about a newspaper photographer (forget his name) who was down at the World Trade Center on 9/11 for an appointment when the planes hit. He grabbed whatever disposable cameras he could purchase and shot away and some of his shots made a lot of papers.

When a trip offers unique photo opportunities, I will take my dedicated camera with me. Paris last year for example. I went to Florida back in March for a family event, but knew there would be a chance for some bird photography so took an extra couple of days and my D500/100-400 combo. On the other hand, the last time I went to New York, a place I have visited often with my camera, I took only my cell phone and had a blast walking through midtown and Central Park. It is a fantastic tool for street walkabouts. I can immediately share images I have taken and connect with others in a way not possible shooting raw images on my dedicated cameras. When I return to Philly this summer for the traditional family get together, I will mostly likely take just my cell phone. The trip is family focused to a place I have previously shot with my cameras many times not to mention how easy it is to take a phone on a plane. So, yes, I rely on my phone at times but my cameras offer superior potential in terms of image quality in most situations. Google algorithms being what they are: over saturation, too much sharpening, an hdr feel, blue casts (to many sky images using my Pixel), and more. I have been shooting my Pixel jpeg and raw lately to maximize image quality in my better shots. I am a big fan of my Pixel but not discarding my cameras quite yet.

For myself, the answer is usually no - I'll want to bring my big camera as well. I think phone cameras have came a huge way and are still improving fairly quickly, but they still have enough limitations to make me willing to carry something else also. Low light performance and focal length selection are a couple of the big ones, though recent advances in noise reduction may make the low light use more viable.

Also, the optical quality of the lens itself doesn't seem to be there, quite. Maybe I'm imagining that---I haven't done any controlled tests, but I think my Samsung S20FE just doesn't get the same look as my Pentax 43mm-f/1.9 on the K-1. Now, that may not be an entirely fair match up on various fronts... but that's sort of the point.

Having the outer layer/cover of the lens constantly rubbing on things (pocket fabric, fingers, whatever) surely doesn't help either. Gorilla glass or whatever it's made of these days is pretty hard, but it has to be picking up some micro abrasions that are going to soften things a little.

While we're adding multiple lenses to phone camera setups, I'd like to see a dedicated low light option too, connected to its own low-light-optimized sensor with lower resolution but much bigger pixels. May not be enough market for that to warrant the extra costs though.

Some photos from our Israel/Jordan trip - all with either of the two iPhones (a 14 and a 13) that we took. Minimal if any post processing on them - aside from the one with the girl and her balloons near one of the old buildings.

5 weeks in Europe - only my iPhone 14 pro max

At the beginning of this year, I set about trying to use my iPhone 14 “exclusively” for the year. I really wanted to try it and determine what I like and what I don’t.

I have just come back from a 5 week trip to Spain and Ireland. I only took the iPhone. I’m blown away by this camera — for the first time. All the other iPhones that I have owned have been “good” but this (main) camera is great IMO. I used the native camera app and the ProCamera app. 48mp main camera mostly, proraw almost always.

The camera weight (reduction), camera size reduction, kit accessories reduction, and overall portability were big wins for me. I didn’t find that I was “lacking” anything by leaving my Fuji kit at home. I’ve been a “viewfinder guy” my whole life but I now don’t feel the need for one personally. Lacking a viewfinder let me get the camera into spots/angles that I would not have otherwise tried (or been able to do using only a viewfinder). I liked it. I also like that every image is geocoded automatically.

Downsides? For me, hardly any. I do wish that there was a 48mp sensor on the iPhone tele camera and a bit more reach at times.

The workflow was a breeze. Shoot all day (zero issues with iPhone battery life), return to hotel, tether phone to iPad Pro, import into Lightroom and get to work. The ProRaw 48mp images can be pushed around quite a bit in LRM. No issues there. Syncing to the cloud? No issues. Syncing to LRC at home? No issues.

I really enjoyed the experience and will not hesitate to take it again on holiday as my only camera. In fact, with the exception of birding and long glass, I am now fully convinced that a current-generation mobile camera can replace a traditional camera body for the work I do.

I’m feeling the same a fair bit for travel photography when on vacation. I’ve been playing with 48mp files from jpg and raw and the output is very good. Prints have to be fairly large to notice much of a difference in many cases. 3-4 years ago that wasn’t the case…but here we are. I’m considering the 14 or 15 pro max with 1tb to store high rez audio and lots of pics.

For me, I prefer both the output and the handling experience of a dedicated camera. For basic memorializing the smartphone is certainly good enough in terms of image quality. I also moved to the m4/3 system in part so I can bring a competent kit with me when I travel, and I can't imagine leaving it at home.

For the handling…dedicated camera for the win. How are you outputting your photographs?

I make at least a few large (11x14 and up) prints each year, often from my travels. I try to do an art exhibition every two to three years with a larger collection of printed work.

I am not a pixel peeper and I no longer make 16x20 prints. After 60 years off toting gadget bags, tripods, and what have you, I'm tired. A few years ago I quit toting. I used a Pixel and then a Huawei and the AI heavy phones, like the iPhone, just weren't any fun. Using a phone and toting lenses and filters and other stuff defeats the point of the phone camera. Now I have a Sony Xperia 5III that actually lets me take the photo and it's my camera of choice. It's fun again.

Comment: A photography site should make it easier to insert photos into your posts.